Capitalise - yay or nay?

AnyaKimlin

AnyaKimlin

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Should cookdom have a capital letter or not? I have managed to create one debate on it already. My inclination is to do so:

Another servant my father permitted to behave in an unseemly manner, her thick arms with unsightly hairs crossed in front of her and she tapped a colossal wooden spoon against one of her biceps. The spoon was her sceptre and the symbol of her absolute rule over the Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall.
 
That should be cut and dry.

When using cookdom alone it would not require capitalization.

But Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall might be considered the same as Kingdom of England-not the same same but as in capitalization.
 
Hi,

My thought is that cookdom is the equivalent of kitchen. I assume. I wouldn't capitalise the kitchen of Henderskelfe Hall.

How is this different?

Cheers, Greg.
 
This is equating the kitchen with a kingdom, and specifically the Kingdom/Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall. It's not just any cookdom, and not just any kitchen. If it were just any kitchen, she wouldn't have a sceptre and absolute rule.

I'd capitalize it.
 
Agreed. Here is isn't the general, it is a specific, and therefore something of a proper name. Proper names are (save for instances such as e.e. cummings) capitalized....
 
The Bayeux Tapestry is capitalized, even though it's an embroidery and even though "tapestry" is a common noun, same as kitchen. When it becomes specific and part of a proper name, then it gets capitalized. To make another comparison, I can talk about any old archbishop, but the Archbishop of Canterbury gets the capital treatment.
 
This is 1910 in a large very wealthy house so Cookdom is kitchens and staff so it looks like a capital it is. Here is a question should it be The Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall?

The two ladies arguing about it have a usually good pedigree so I decided to double check.
 
By all accounts she is an exceptional cook so it is indeed delicious lol ;) Which is why she can be rude to her employer.
 
AnyaKimlin said:
should it be The Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall?

The two ladies arguing about it have a usually good pedigree so I decided to double check.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't capitalize The, no. That would take you into a whole new level of rarefied territory -- it's only done in a very few instances, such as "The Hague", "The Dalles". Otherwise, no capital for the article.
 
Since it stands as a sort of name you could use The capitalized but then it would always have to be The- because that now becomes a part of the entire name.

AnyaKimlin said:
This is 1910 in a large very wealthy house so Cookdom is kitchens and staff so it looks like a capital it is. Here is a question should it be The Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall?

The two ladies arguing about it have a usually good pedigree so I decided to double check.
Click to expand...
 
In this case, it should be capitalised, for reasons outlined above by others.

Stuff like this can be tricky, though. Whether 'the King' should be capitalised or not can be very hard to decide.
 
I'm not keen on capitalising cookdom, but it's up to you.


However, on the off chance your example --
Another servant my father permitted to behave in an unseemly manner, her thick arms with unsightly hairs crossed in front of her and she tapped a colossal wooden spoon against one of her biceps. The spoon was her sceptre and the symbol of her absolute rule over the Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall.
Click to expand...
-- is a real quote from your WiP, I think there's something not quite right about it, including the absence of a main verb.

You might try something like:
<Name>, another servant my father permitted to behave in an unseemly manner, would cross her thick arms in front of her -- arms that sprouted unsightly hairs -- and tap a colossal wooden spoon against one of her biceps. The spoon was her sceptre and the symbol of her absolute rule over the Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall.
Click to expand...
 
Hmm.

She was yet another servant my father permitted to speak to him in an unseemly manner. Beneath her sack-like dress and food caked apron, her body lacked shape, indicating she wore no corset. Ugly, thick arms covered in unsightly hairs crossed in front of her and she tapped a colossal wooden spoon on her biceps. The spoon was her sceptre and symbol of her absolute rule over the Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall.

It's only the dirty draft but I think the Cookdom will be staying it suits Mrs Tuff (the cook).
 
i think i would have capitalized the whole phrase and set it off with italics like a book title... "The Cookdom of Henderskelfe Hall". or somesuch ...
 
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